EVERY SIGNATURE MATTERS - THIS BILL MUST PASS!

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Houses of worship and a person’s experience of their faith should be free of sexual abuse.

Shockingly,
when victims of child sex abuse by religious leaders and other
perpetrators come forward to seek justice and stop abusers from causing
more harm, they are blocked by current New York State law. New York
ranks among the very worst in the nation -- alongside Alabama, Michigan
and Mississippi -- for how the courts and criminal justice system treat
survivors of child sex abuse.

Mental
health experts know it can take decades for a victim of this abuse to
overcome the fear, shame, and trauma to be able to come forward to
confront their abuser, but our current law allows survivors of abuse to
pursue criminal or civil justice only until the age of 23 -- a statute
of limitations of, in some cases, only five years.

A
bill called the Child Victims Act can change that at the upcoming
session. It will extend or eliminate the statute of limitations so
victims come forward and perpetrators can be prosecuted, helping victims
get justice and taking unknown abusers off the streets. April and May
are critical months for clergy to demand that officials introduce and
vote for the bill.

Right
now, many Republican members of the New York legislature are opposing
the bill. Some religious institutions are pressuring legislators to
reject the bill because it could mean holding them accountable.
Religious groups and others are threatening to thwart the re-election of
members if they pass the bill.

Clergy
for Child Victims is mobilizing faith leaders to sign this petition to
the governor letting the governor, state assembly, and state senate know
that we stand behind the governor's support of the bill. On May 9, a
group of clergy will make a lobbying trip to Albany to try and get new
legislation passed before budget negotiations start.

To:
New York State Senate, Assembly, and Governor

New York State Must Stop Failing Victims of Child Sex Abuse

New York State's laws protecting
survivors of child sex abuse are broken. The New York State Legislature
must eliminate the Statute of Limitations for child victims of sex
abuse, enable those who were denied justice the chance to pursue it, and
thereby help get abusers off the streets.

Why is this important?

Jennie's life changed when her coach began molesting
her at age 15, trauma that has impacted every area of her life. But
like so many victims of child sex abuse, it wasn’t until many years
later, when she was 25, that she understood what had happened to her.
Under New York State law, the window for pursuing legal action for child
sex abuse is only 5 years after one turns 18. Not only can Jennie not
pursue justice; her abuser remains on the streets.

New York State ranks alongside Alabama, Michigan and Mississippi, as
among the worst states in the U.S. in how its courts and criminal
justice system treat survivors of child sex abuse.

Shockingly, victims brave enough to come forward to seek justice and
stop abusers from causing more harm, are blocked by New York State law
because current state law allows survivors to pursue criminal or civil
justice for a maximum of just five years after they turn age 18. But
mental health experts know it can take decades for a victim of child
sexual abuse to overcome the fear, shame, and trauma before they are
able to come forward to confront their abuser. Perpetrators can continue
to abuse if not stopped.

Many of us faith leaders have seen the wounds caused by sexual
predators; wounds whose pain cannot be overstated, wounds that may never
be fully healed. We also painfully acknowledge that rather than being a
source of healing for victims of child sexual abuse, religious
institutions have too often been a part of the problem. It's now time to
be a part of the solution.

Please join us in urging New York to join states like California,
Delaware, Minnesota, Hawaii, Illinois and Florida that have recently
passed legislation extending or eliminating the statute of limitations
and creating windows for survivors to come forward. This legislation
will no doubt bring justice and importantly, prevent further abuse. When
similar legislation was passed in California, over 300 previously
unknown abusers were identified.

Reforming NY State’s Statute of Limitations makes all our children
safer and we urge you to join us today as we prepare to take this issue
to Albany.

How it will be delivered

Right now legislators in Albany are debating
the 2017 Child Victim's Act which will repeal the Statute of Limitations
for civil and criminal cases and create an opportunity for victims who
were denied justice to pursue it. We urge you to sign our petition
today. We will deliver the signatures to the Governor, State Assembly
and State Senate to encourage them to pass the Child Victim's Act.

Dear Friends,

I just signed the campaign: New York State Must Stop Failing Victims of Child Sex Abuse

It would mean the world to me if you could also add your name. Each of
us can help build the momentum we need to bring about a more just world.

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